Denial
by 17BlackRoses
Summary: In a small homophobic town where Kurogane has grown up all of his life, his best friend, Fai has just come out as gay. How does Kurogane react to this? What happens to Fai after this? However, when Kurogane realizes his true feelings, is the future that he's expecting going to change all in an instant with a few bullies, a car, and the wrong time? Read to find out! KuroFai. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys~ So this is my second novel-like story that I'm doing -3- I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to writing this, I really am, and I seriously hope you guys love reading it just as much. This is sorta like, a present for all my Beautiful Liar followers ^_^ However, if you've never read Beautiful Liar, welcome to probably the first story you've read by me xD

Okay, so I wanna apologize first off and get a few things straight right now. This is an AU story of KuroFai, which is a yaoi...well sorta...you'll know what I mean later on. That being said, please, please keep in mind that this story takes place in a small homophobic town where Kurogane is a teenager with teenage emotions that's only ever grown up and knows what he knows from the town. So, I'm sorry for any OOCness, I'm just trying to stay true to the plot line, but it'll change a little more as it progresses to his actual personality. If you don't think you can handle it (which I'm highly sure that it's not going to be too OOC) then please leave, if not CONTINUE ON BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE GREAT!

Anyway, now that the long author's note is out of the way, and I swear it won't be that long always...let's embark on this new journey xD Hope you guys enjoy~~~

_Italics means thoughts or memories_ ; **T means scene change or time passing**

**KUROGANE POV**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, the characters, or the story...this is just my own creative plot twist

* * *

I've never been one to care about anyone's past, it doesn't matter...but Fai's past does matter. It's different. After all, his past is practically_ our_ past. I know who he is and what he's like, I've grown up with him. Which is why his past actually does bother me...

And it's been driving me insane all day! I growl in my throat having the moron's face keep forming over and over. Normally it doesn't bother me...well, no too much anway... However, thanks to a certain dream last night, I can't get him out of my mind. I feel my face harden and I bare my teeth remembering it again.

_"Hey, Kurogane, can you meet up with me in the park? There's something really important I feel I need to tell you." I grimace again when listening to the message. _The idiot didn't even bother to use a nickname and his tone was real serious, ver unusual for that guy...wonder what's so important it'd cause Fai to be like that?

_"Press zero to delete this message. Press seven to repeat this message," the obviously robotic female voice sounds through the speaker, naming the list of options. I move the phone away from my ear and start to press seven to listen to his message again and decrypt what his emotions could possibly be conveying, but the long list of sevens lining up next to each other on the screen makes me decide against it. _If I haven't figured out more then what I already learned by now then I'm obviously not gonna find anything else...

_After sliding my phone back into my pocket, I stare into the fog haze that's settled over the field in front of me that'll be full with tons of people playing sports, having a picnic, or any of the other various activities they do on the field when the afternoon comes about. The sun's rays barely cut through the thick, misty grey sky that only seems to occur during an undisturbed, wet morning. A slight breeze ruffles the relaxed trees and runs through my short, black spikes of har, kissing my face softly. Frankly, I'd find this atmosphere to be quite relaxing and enjoyable, had a blonde's face and voice not be captivating all my thoughts._

Okay, so what all emotions dripped in his voice...? He was obviously serious, then there seemed to be a small amount of happiness...but there was also a lot of hesitance and fear...The hell could've brought that on Fai?_ I notice my lips pursed and I slump into the bench, body sliding down with my arms crossed over my chest. _Dammit, where is he at? It annoys me that he calls me this early in the morning to meet up, then takes forever in showing up. Then again, he did sound sort of scared in his message, so maybe he chickened out at the last minute._ A sigh slips past my lips thinking of that possibility. It really does concern me that he sounded so different than usual, especially since he's pretty good at hiding his emotions anyway. I want to know what's so important that the blonde would be so conflicted over it like this._

_"Kuro-tan!" A musically feminine voice calls from down the trail, followed by quick, rythmic footsteps. Turning my attention in the direction, the form of a hazy silhouette running toward me begins to clear and reveal a lithe yound male, beautiful blonde locks bouncing gracefully with each of his strides._

_"There you are, moron. Took you long enough." He finally slows before he throws himself over with his hand resting on the bench to support his panting body._

_"That's some way to greet your best friend in the morning~" He chuckles breathlessly._

_"I have every right to greet you that way! Not only did you call extremely early on a Saturday morning when I _should_ be sleeping in, you made me wait twenty minutes on this bench for you!" He smiles up at me apologetically before moving to finally sit down next to me, eyes becoming usddenly distant._

_"Sorry, I just figured it'd be best to tell you this when no one's around but you and me..." I notice him keep the grin on his face, but his voice betrays him a few times in showing a small bit of fear and nervousness. Feeling my eyes narrow, I lean in a bit more to him, trying to get a better look so I don't miss any change in this all-too-common facade he insists on keeping up._

_"So, what's up? What's so important you went through this trouble to tell?" I see him tense up, mask falling slightly before he immediately patches it back up._

_"Well, I..." His hand begins shaking, involuntarily I'm sure. He opens his mouth to speak again. "I..." he says, voice more shakey than before and I almost wonder if he's going to cry under this unknown pressure and stress he's feeling. The trembling makes its way up his arm and into his shoulders, eventually shaking away his annoying fake smile and unsheathing his real emotions. Half concious of what I'm doing, I place my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down in some way._

_"Fai..."_

_Lips parting and eyes widening a bit, his shoulders finally fall with his head, eyes closing as a sigh breaks past his lips. I watch as he straightens back up, hesitation leaving his face, replaced with determination which intrigues me to no end. _What's going on in your mind, blondie?

_"Okay," he takes in a deep breath, turning his body to face me, perserverance written all over his face, yet a small amount of fear and...regret, I think, spiraling violently in his sapphire eyes. "Kurogane, I'm..." I notice him clench his fist out of the corner of my eye. "I'm gay."_

Someone runs into me, sending my shoulder back from the sudden impact and causing an irritated growl to sound from my throat. Turning to glare at the guy, he turns also, eyes widening slightly and his face falling victim to a small bit of fear.

"Oh, sorry, Suwa. Was rushing down the hallway, didn't mean to run in to you..." he says, shrinking gradually while trying to defend himself.

"Whatever," I snarl back at him, throwing my body around to continue on my rampage to another class where I won't be able to focus any of my freaking attention into. Trying to keep my focus concentrated on anything esle but my memories that decided to take the form of dreams and haunt me all day, I finally just give in and allow my thoughts so slip into those memories again.

_My thumb pressed down hard again on the reject button after reading the caller's ID. I lazily toss the phone across the bed, watching it bounce twice before settling into the black sheets, blending in nearly perfectly. I turn my head to glare at the defenseless wall, as though my problems would just be sucked into it or the hole I'm trying to bored will at least take some of my anger with it. I jump off my bed, pacing in irritation. It's not just anger, it's disgust, shock, and...and...hurt, and confusion_. How the hell was I supposed to know my best friend was gay? I never would've guessed or even gotten the notion._ My pacing slows, then stops before starting up again. _Okay, maybe he does come across as girly, and he does have a high-pitched voice, and he does act kind of like a girl, and dresses...sort of feminine...and is...into broadway...and singing and theatre..._ Growling in extreme annoyance, I grip hard on my hair tangled between my fingers, stopping my pacing altogether and falling back onto my bed._

Okay, so he does come across as the typical gay guy, but I never once though of him like that...it just seemed so unlikely to happen here in this town that the idea never crossed my mind...he just seemed like any other guy to me...I never would've seen this coming..._ I let out a long, heavy sigh, rolling my head over onto it's side to stare at the glossy black cellular device within arm's reach beside me. _Even now he's still no different to me...other than the fact that he's gay, nothing's changed. Besides, wasn't I always taught not to judge and accept people for who they are by my mother...?_ Closing my eyes with another sigh following, I push myself up into a sitting postion and stare down at my phone. My hand eventually reaches for it, seeming to be at an agonizingly slow speed. _What the hell am I doing?_ The screen lights up with life after pressing the unlock button, the missed calls notification staring back bluntly and unmoving at me, displaying three days worth of missed calls and messages all from one blonde. Pushing down on the button that enables me to listen to them, I slowly raise the phone up to rest beside my ear._

_"First missed message:" the annoying female's voice informs, interrupted by a more distraught male voice sobbing into the phone, almost making me pull away._

_"Kurogane, please pick up! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please answer me!" His words are interrupted by him sobbing for a few seconds. "Please! I didn't mean to upset you! Just please pick up!" He sobs for a few more seconds before the phone's disconnected and that female voice starts again, telling me the options before pausing and moving onto the next message with Fai sobbing again._

_"...Kurogane...please pick up. I understand you don't want to talk to me...but please..." The words sound harshly choked by the violent sobs erupting from his throat. "Please, Kurogane...I'm...already starting to fall apart. I'm so s-sorry th-that I m-m-made you m-mad. I'm be-beg-ging you to, p-please...call me! PLEASE!" I immediately pull the phone away from my ear, grimacing at the pain in his voice. The mumbling from the phone operater fills the silence in my room. Quickly exiting out of the messages, I don't want to listen to another message like that from Fai, I don't need to. My fingers beat hastily on the keys that form's Fai's number before hitting talk, listening to the ringing of the line trying to connect. Barely noticing the impatient tapping of my finger on my leg, there's a clicking sound, followed by a few moments of silence, then a musical male voice._

_"...Hello?" Fai asks shakily, sounding as though he were crying earlier but I also notice he seems to sound shocked and maybe even a bit fearful._

_"Fai? Hey, it's me, Kurogane."_

_"Kurogane...!" He says into the phone astounded._

_"Sorry about not answering sooner and-"_

_"Kurogane! Please! Meet me in the park!"_

_"W-what?"_

_"Please!" He literally sounds desperate to me, nearly making me wince. "Meet me in person!" He hangs up before I have time to protest, irriating me slightly but mainly just getting a sigh out of me._

_"I don't suppose he means tomorrow..." I mumble to myself, already outside my door and heading for the stairs. The smells of my mother's cooking fills my nose, making me wonder if I should being any for him, but decide not to._

_"Goin out, Mom! Be back soon!" I call to her, seeing her lively, yet converned face poke around the corner._

_"Where are you going?" She questions, confusion ringing undeniably._

_"To the park. Gonna meet up with Fai..." She purses her lips, understanding lighting up her features. I know that she's more than aware of the fact that Fai and I haven't been speaking, so it only makes sense that she'd let me go like she is._

_"Alright, behave yourself. Ask him to dinner if you'd like also," she says before disappearing again._

_"'Kay," I yell back halfheartedly while slipping on my last shoe, sliding out the door and making my way to the park. I see people begin leaving while I pass by, feeling relieved when the last group of people leave the field after sitting down and watching them for a while._

_"Damn blonde, always making me the one who waits." I glare down at the darkened concrete path, listening to the soft breeze and cracks of thunder off in the far distance. _Is it gonna storm tonight?_ I chuckle to myself, thinking about what's really bothering me. _Should I even be here...?_ Another clap of thunder sounds a little closer but that's the least of my worries when hearing hasty tapping against the cement coming toward me. All doubts that were just conflicting in my mind instantly die and I push myself off the bench, pivoting my body in time to feel Fai slam into me, arms wrapping around me in a tight embrace and without thinking I return it._

_"Kurogane! I'M SORRY! I'M REALLY SORRY!" I feel him slide to his knees, hands gripping tightly on my pants. Wetness slides down my face and dabbles my shirt's fabric when another bang of thunder echoes above us, drowning out his sobs but only for a short moment. "I'M SORRY! I should've never said anything! I should've never came out to you and I should have kept it to myself! That was wrong of me! I shouldn't have thought so selfishly! It was wrong of me to make you feel uncomfortable and I'm so sorry for that! I promise I'll never push anything onto you so please...please forgive me..." He sobs into my pants, the tears beginning to seep in, getting my knees wet where the rain hasn't already_. I shouldn't...I shouldn't forgive him... All this development is gonna do is make it hard on both of us in this town. It'd be so much easier to walk away and not get myself involved with a gay kid. So, why am I sinking down to the ground with him?_ I wrap my arms around him, holding him close and running my fingers through his drenched, yet still soft hair._

_"Fai..." The claps of thunder surround our huddled bodies, making a strange harmony with his sobs._

The sudden ringing from the bell makes me flinch a bit. I listen to the people shuffling around me, screeching the chairs across the tile floors and moving to make ways to their next classes. Of course I don't really need to pack up considering I didn't even pull anything out since I was so lost in thought, thank goodness I sit in the back._ Dammit, another class I didn't pay attention to at all. Stupid blonde..._

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I follow after the last straggler still slightly dazed. _How annoying..._ Of course I had dreamed about that memory last night, but I don't even remember where it really stopped or how in to detail it really went, but it just sort of took a life of its own and the whole memory played out before me, to my annoyance may I add. It's been four years since it's happened and it's still so clear in my mind. It pisses me off. I notice a few people go out of their way to steer clear of me while I walk down the hallway, which probably means that I more than likely appear to be in a bad mood. But I am! They should be moving out of the way anyway! Groaning to myself, I freeze when turning the corner and seeing the devil himself. I feel the tenseness in my face soften, then tighten again when catching a glimpse of who's standing in front of him, making the smaller teen shrink back into the lockers as far as he can go. _Damn Kyle, you bastard..._

"What's the matter, pretty-boy? Too afraid to fight back and break a nail? We just couldn't live were your hair to get all messed up and tangled!" I see Fai's mouth move, but I can't hear what he's saying. However, I do hear Kyle's repulsive laughing at whatever he said. God I wanna tear his head off! Glancing around for any teacher at all, it only enrages me even more to see anyone making an effort to come to his rescue. Shogo's girlfriend's voice sounds from down the hall next to Shogo and he turns to Fai one more time.

"Quit acting like such a girl, fag," he tells him, sauntering away. I clench my fist, trying to keep from lunging at him. I take a deep a breath before walking over to Fai, smiling with his stupid fake grin.

"Don't listen to that asshole, he's just a loser who has nothing better to do than pick at someone else to make himself feel all high and mighty," I tell him, shoving my hands into my pockets.

"You always tell me that...but I start to question myself whether they're right and all...if I really should change...or if I should even burden then anymore with me living..."

"WHOA! HELL NO! Don't you dare go running off and killing yourself! I'll resurrect you and kill you again myself!" I pull back a little realizing that that'd only defeat the purpose. "...THEN I'LL RESURRECT YOU AGAIN AND CHEW YOU OUT WHILE I'M KICKING YOUR SORRY ASS!" He chuckles lightly, only making me angrier. I'm about to chew him out again but he speaks, stopping any sentences from forming.

"And how are you going to resurrect me exactly?"

"I'll find some way, but that's not the point. The point is, is that you shouldn't listen to low-lifes like them. Shove it in their faces! Tell them all who you truly area dn be prideful in it! Because I like you for who you truly are." His grin falls and his eyes widen, face lighting up, looking more lively than it has for a while.

"You really think so, Kuro-chuu?"

"If I didn't then I wouldn't be telling you." The late bell chimes, making me murmer a string of curse words under my breath. He nods to me happily, a real smile taking form that surprises me.

"See you later, Kuro-rin~" He yells over his retreating body's shoulder. With nothing more than a wave of my hand, I turn to run to my next class, mentally preparing myself for the scolding I'll probably recieve for being late...again.

**T**

It's a good thing I managed to get to this class in time. Just as I suspected, I got scolded... My lip twitches remembering it. Just like Kakei-san to not let me sit down and point me out to the whole class...did he really have to tell them all about my confusion on how hormone medicane can effect guys in a more...feminine way... He told them all about how I was ranting about how cute that girl was...then his assistant, Saiga, pulled me over explaining how that was a picture of a man on hormones._ Right...never be late to his class again..._

Sighing, I rest my chin in my upraised palm and stare out the window, drowning out the teacher's lecture with my thoughts again. Ever since my dream, memories keep flooding back into my mind with Fai and I. I was trying to fight it earlier, but deemed it useless and just let them come and pass now.

_"Ne, Kuro-pon, why did you bring me to the park?"_

_"I wanted to give you something."_ I feel my chest tighten remembering this scene. This one and my dream stir the most of my emotions. However, it's not long before I fall victim once more, held hostage in my rememberance.

_"What is it!" the hyperactive blonde questions, sitting beside me who's aleady exhausted by his actions and mood._

_"Do you not understand the meaning of patience?" I ask, massaging my temples with my eyes closed. He giggles and I see him shake his head playfully._

_"It doesn't help that you got me all excited~"_

_"Well, I suppose you should be happy today."_

_"Hm?" he hums in question, grinning at me with that innocent confusion that seems to make my heart speed up for some reason. I swallow it back then rustle in my pocket._

_"Well, duh, it's your birthday after all, idiot. Here, got this for ya," I say with a small grin, a black cat dangling from my grip. He gasps happily, snatching for the keychain._

_"No way! You got me that kitty keychain that I liked so much!?"_

_"Well, I remember that you really liked it but didn't have the money to get it. So, I decided I'd get it for ya. It was either this or that pheonix tattoo that you seemed to have an eye for, but I don't think that would go over too-" His lips press gingerly against mine, cutting me off. It suprises me at first, in fact I don't even comprehend the fact that is _kissing_ me, but when I do, all hell breaks loose._

_Immediately I shove him way from me harshly, wiping off my lips as though it were something I could just rub off._

_"WHAT THE HELL!?" He stares back, dumbstuck at what he just did._

_"Oh my gosh, I just...I didn't..." tears begin to well up in his eyelids, " I...I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I did it without thinking!" he pleads with me, looking distraught and appalled with himself. I want to punch his lights out for doing that! I'm not gay, dammit! I should beat him senseless! But I just can't do it... I can't lay a hand on his perfectly shaped face._

_"Just, don't do it again! You hear!" He nods his head speedily. I cross my arms over my chest, turning myself away from him. What the hell kinda feeling is this? Why do I feel warm in my chest...almost like the feeling I've gotten with my ex girlfriends. _I'm not gay! I'm not gay! I'm not-

"Yeah, he finally came out of the closet! I always knew that Flourite was gay the instant he stepped his foot through the school's doors," some guy says behind me. What? What did he just say? I turn around to face the two guys conversing behind me.

"Wait, what?" I ask them instantly.

"Yeah, didn't you hear, Suwa?" the other guy begins, drawing my attention to him. "Fai, the really flamboyant dude, he just came out earlier! He's totally gay!" And I think my heart stops beating altogether.

* * *

What do y'all think!? -3- Personally, I'm really liking it and I can't wait to write more. Please let me know what you all think. Review possibly? xD

So, hopefully I can update this more reguraly along with my other story...but no matter what, I promise that this will not be stopped...no matter how long updates take. Anyways, hope it was a good first chappie -3- Take care guys~


	2. Chapter 2

Hello my fellow readers! Wow...it's been faaaaaaar too long. I'm telling, school has just murdered me this year. Anyway, I'm glad to see that I've got followers and reviewers for this story! It's sorta a small thing…but it makes me so very happy! xD Now that the end of the school year is nearing, hopefully my life won't be eaten away as much x.x

Okay, fair warning, this chapter is not the most exciting chapter you'll ever read in your entire careers of reading xD It's not that it's horrible, just not actionish…if you know what I mean x.x I swear it isn't a filler chapter though! I won't ever write any of those unless it's needed to move the plot forward…anyway, didn't mean to scare all of y'all…so just enjoy the durn chappie! xD

**TheGoth24- **Thank you soooo much for being the first Denial reviewer EVAH! I'm sooo sorry about the confusion and for letting you hang so long! The first part in all those italics was him remembering his dream from the night before, and the second one in italics was him just remembering a part of his past. They're both memories of his, just one was a dream and another was a daydream. I'm still really sorry about the confusion v.v Hope that this chapter is better ^_^

**Vague Gravitation-** xD I can't say he'll be doing anything any time soon. He's just being a big wuss right now. Darn Kuro-chan. I KNOW RIGHT! Poor Fai v.v Well, here's the next chapter Deary if you're still following.

Guest- Here's your next chapter ;)

**AllTheGoodPenNamesAreUsed**- Thank you sooo much -3- I have to say, these chapters are definitely shorter than Beautiful Liar's, but still worth every chappie! Thank you again and here's the update, finally~

**Ketler-**Here's the update finally! I'm sorry about confusing you! I tried to make some distinction between memories and present...looks like I didn't do as good of a job as I should've. But I'm glad you figured it out! ^_^ Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**NekoLuvr-**YAY! It's frickin awesome to hear that you read through it TWICE! *Huggles* I love you for that! Thank you! Here's your update!

**MangaSockAttack-**Here's your long awaited update! Sorry for the long wait! I'm glad that you like it~ Hope you continue to!

**Collection-**Here's your update! Thanks for being a reviewer after months of no reviews v.v I feel terrible for such a long wait, but to see that there are still people who are reading this story after so long without an update means sooo much to me. It really is cute isn't it ;D Even though not much happens yet, here ya go! It'll get even better soon!

THANK YOU TO ALL MY FIRST REVIEWERS! YOU'RE ALL SO KIND! -3-

_Italics means thoughts_ ; **T means scene change or time passing**

**KUROGANE POV**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, the characters, or the story...this is just my own creative plot twist~

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"Kuro-sama!" I keep walking, not moving my forced gaze away from the busy hallway in front of me.

"Kuro-chan! Wait!" He yells from behind again, a small bit of confusion ringing. Growling, I fling myself around to look down into his innocent, beautiful- ugh! Dammit, what does he want?!

"What?! And stop calling me those stupid nicknames!" He smiles up at me gently, a soft chuckle passing his lips.

"Why not? I personally love them~"

"Well, I don't you damn idiot so knock it off." I turn again, picking up my pace.

"Kuro-min…wait," he pleads softly, making me grit my teeth and run off. "KURO!" Damn blonde…why doesn't he just leave me alone…?

**T**

_Finally managed to get away from him._ I massage my temples, letting out a long, annoyed sigh. I never would've realized how much energy it takes to keep my distance from one guy. I feel my chest tighten a bit, irritating me to no end. It's not that I don't want to be around him, he's my best friend after all, it's just… Dammit, why'd he have to come out to the whole freaking school?! What in his right mind brought that idiot to do that? I knew he was stupid, but not this stupid!

The doorway to hell approaches at an agonizingly brisk pace. What's worse is that a certain little blonde demon dwells within that classroom, waiting for his chance to suck me into another one of his awkward voids… My shoulders slump just entertaining the idea of seeing him, him of all people. I stop right in front of the door, letting out a long sigh in irritation. _Why am I freaking out so much over it? It's not like I have anything to worry about. It's the idiot's life he's screwing over, not mine…_ Yet, even after saying that, there's still that anxiety pooling in my belly, weakening my own will. _Dammit, I'm Kurogane Suwa! Why am I letting something like this hold me back?_

With that sudden burst of courage, my hand snaps out and grabs hold of the doorknob, eyes narrowing in determination and I thrust the door open, an unexpected wave of regret washing over. Yep, I just opened up another chance for that awkward vibe to seep in. My eyes are immediately jerked over to the blonde magnet as though I just had to affirm my misfortune and remind myself of the hell I was currently caught up and trapped in for the next fifty minutes.

And hell is the most perfect synonym for those longest fifty minutes I've ever experienced. Starting it all off was when it's gate-keeper (also known as Ashura) made a big deal to the whole class that "I of all people was actually sitting at the front of the classroom" which invited two very unwanted eyes to bore into my back along with everyone else's. There was a little bit of chatter that was thrown around between students about my decision to sit in the front instead of beside the blonde where I always sit and even guard at times, but that died down and became old news within ten minutes of even being in the classroom. The eyes that were trained on me began shifting to the work they were supposed to be working on in the first place. That is, everyone's except for two sapphire ones.

I could feel every time he'd remove his focus from the worksheet in front of him on his desk and onto my back, each time a different emotion emanating from his gaze. There were quite a few times where they were filled with confusion, guilt, and sadness, then a few times when there was actually anger, disappointment, and admiration…yeah, wasn't sure how to react when feeling that emotion escape from his usually carefully masked eyes. There were a few times when I wanted to get up and fill in one of the empty chairs on either side of him, but the instant I almost would, there'd always be some babbled tossed around about me probably not wanting to be beside him because of the fact he just came out that would find its way into my ear and break my resolve. I never did turn to look at him though…just couldn't and frankly had no reason to.

Then there was the fact that word had gotten around to Ashura when he was walking around. So, I caught him numerous times casting glances at Fai which was really pissing me off. I wanted to cuss him out and tell him to keep his nosy eyes back in his skull where they belonged… Needless to say, I had to keep myself from leaping for joy when the bell calling for class to end resonated around the room. I don't waste any time in getting my ass out of there, barely hearing Fai's call for me to wait before I'm already rushed down the hallway for lunch. It pisses me off that I have to go through all this trouble to keep away from him!

I don't even try to sit near him at lunch. After going through the lunch line and grabbing nothing but a water and apple due to my loss of appetite, I go to the farthest corner away from my usual place that I'd always throw my tray down on the table when yelling at the moron for saying something stupid or plain embarrassing with that foolish, goofy grin on his face every day. A sigh breaks past my lips and I plop my chin down in my upraised palm, turning the apple around in my other hand and eyeing it halfheartedly. _I'm really not hungry at all…why'd I even waste my time going through the line?_

I place the apple back down on the tray, resting my hand over it and lazily shift my vision toward the entrance to the cafeteria to watch as the moron walks in, glances over at our typical table then his face falls in what seems to be disappointment before making his way toward the line. My eyes follow him while he paces over to the line of people, some of the surrounding students going out of their way to keep their space between them and him._ Damn bastards, treating him as though he's some disease they can catch…even I'm not that shallow._ If he notices, then he doesn't show it, that annoying fake smile he feigns growing instead. I continue my watch over him as he gradually moves forward, taking extra care to maintain the same distance between him and the people around him, silky blonde locks flowing gracefully each time he'd glance around the room for whatever reason.

Eventually he disappears in the body of human beings and I take the opportunity to finally draw my attention away from him and to my pathetic quantity of items I call my lunch. Only three more periods before I can get out of here and into the comfort of my home…well, more like my room. That's the only place where I can actually close myself off from this damn world with its freaking problems I have to deal with. Damn, I'm just not much of a people person.

"Kurogane?" a familiar male's voice sounds from above me. I peer up at the source of the voice, head moving up to get a better view of him when I see who it is.

"How's it going, Fuuma?" I ask, skipping over the senseless greeting and watching him scoot out a chair near me and sitting into it.

"I'm doing fine but how 'bout you?" he questions, curious grin spread over his lips.

"Fine, I guess. Why you ask in such a tone?" He tilts his head a bit then nudges it in the direction of Fai just taking his seat.

"Well, you're usually sitting right next to him so I'm just a little puzzled as to why you randomly decided to sit all the way over here," he says, opening his chocolate milk carton. So, even when I'm not near him I'm still haunted with the fact that I'm leaving him alone and not by him.

"Just needed my space…he's just been way more than I can take today…" I mumble, picking up the apple and biting into it just to retain a preoccupied mind, not finding any pleasure in the crisp, cold sweetness that seeps onto my taste buds.

"Ah," he replies absently, mixing his sauce and pasta together in one of those cheap, styrofoam cups the cafeteria cooks dump food into then serve without any further care. _Pasta, hm?_ I practically force the reminder out of my head that Fai in particularly loved Italian pasta days at lunch. Shaking my head to clear the thoughts away, I unscrew my water bottle's cap off and hold the brim of the bottle up to my lips, gaze shifting over to where the blonde sits alone-

_What...?_ Fai's face lights up when interrupted from swirling his fork around in his cup by Syaoran and Sakura who stand there for a few seconds before pulling out the chairs across from him and maneuvering to sit down in front of their trays. I feel my eyebrows narrow when seeing him smile and move his mouth as though he were talking, even making movements of laughter after a short pause. My scowl deepens and I lift the bottle up slightly to allow some water to stream past my lips before closing my eyes and turning my head away. _Looks like he's found a very suitable replacement for me; two at that! Why the hell should I be worrying then? Idiot's not worth my time anyway._

I open my eyes back up only to be met by Fuuma's smirk. "What?" I demand.

"If you really wanna go talk to him then you should instead of sitting way over here." My eyes narrow in annoyance.

"And what the hell would make you think that? I have nothing do with the blonde." His smirk softens into a grin again.

"If you say so... I guess it can't really be helped then," he tells me, although it sounds more like it's directed more toward the air than anything. "I'm just saying that-" he stops in mid-sentence, eyes caught on something across the room and of course out of curiosity I turn my head to see what's seized Fuuma's attention.

A feminine, blue-eyed male walks in to the cafeteria, trailed closely by another male that's as undeniably dainty._ Kamui and Subaru, huh?_ Kamui's eyes scan around before staring in our direction, expression shifting into a glare with no anger to even back it up. He turns back to Subaru and says something, then they start to make their way over to the nearly gone line. Shifting my view back over to Fuuma, I see a soft grin on his face, eyes full of gentleness while still following the two.

"That brat, Kamui? He's the one that's got you so captivated right now?" I question, watching realization that someone's just spoken to him fill his mind.

"Oh, yeah. This is one of the first days he allowed Subaru to come back again and I told him he could sit with me at lunch if he wanted to. So, I've been looking for them. You don't mind...do you?" I shake my head, gulping down another mouth full of water. He mutters a thanks then I disconnect myself from the current reality.

Of course I don't mind being around Fuuma at all, we've been buds for quite a while now...but those twins, not so much. Personally, I don't like to put up with Kamui's shitty attitude and Subaru...well, it's just awkward being around him. He's the only other guy in the school that actually came out as gay two years ago along with another guy named Kazahaya that ended up moving out of this town. He was the big talk around the place for a really long time, in fact, he still is, but not as strongly since a certain _someone_ decided to balance out the stupid gossip shit. He was immediately picked on and bullied right after he came out which is why Kamui constantly forces him to stay home under the care of his older boyfriend. Then Kamui would come to school and bitch about how he didn't like Subaru's boyfriend and how he wasn't trustworthy which annoyed the crap out of me.

The twins head over to our table and are greeted happily by Fuuma. Kamui glances at me in distaste but eventually takes a seat by Fuuma, Subaru sitting right next to him. I awkwardly shift away from Subaru's direction and bite a chunk out of the glossy apple to not make it as noticeable. It's not that I feel weird around him because he's gay...it's just that...I even made fun of him when he first came out in front of Fai who really respected him. Of course I was confused as to why Fai held such a high opinion of him back then which was why I was even more bewildered when Fai went off on me and walked off without turning around or apologizing when I poked fun at Subaru. That stunt earned me a good week before Fai came around to the idea of forgiving me. Although I played it off as though I didn't care on bit that he wasn't talking to me, it was a really long and rough week. I honestly missed the conversations we'd have and the smiles he'd give me, even if a lot of them were fake or because I was angrily chasing him around. I was extremely relieved the day he began talking to me; like hell I'd ever admit that to anyone though!

Kamui and Fuuma begin to carry on a conversation and I notice Subaru awkwardly sitting off to the side and eating his own food silently. I've thought about apologizing to him before for picking on him, but it would just seem extremely out of place since he has no idea I said anything in the past... Besides, I'm not in the mood to hear Kamui's senseless bitching and adding anymore tension to this already thick atmosphere.

I glance around indolently to notice numerous people occasionally casting glances at our table, making me thoroughly aggravated. _Why the hell are they all looking over here as though we have three heads suddenly?_ I take a few seconds to eye each person sitting with me here.

_...Well, damn... I'm sitting with a bunch of rumored homosexuals..._ As much as I don't want to care or think about it, I do scowl at the position I'm in. Kamui's just blatantly obvious even though he desperately tries to remain a closet case. Not only is he feminine, but he's a twin and twins are supposedly seventy percent more likely to be gay if one twin is. Not to mention he seems to have an interest in Fuuma despite how much he tries to make it appear he hates him. Although, it's an interest that Fuuma doesn't deny either. Fuuma's been rumored himself to be interested in Kamui...and he doesn't even attempt to hide it with the way he looks at him and talks about him. _Great... I tried to get myself away from the homosexual vibes and just threw myself into another! Well, at least they're more able to bear unlike the blonde... Rah! When is this day just going to end?!_

I force myself to wait another ten minutes in that suffocating situation until the bell rings to dismiss us and welcome the next group of hungry teens waiting to stuff their guts. By the time the last bell chimes to ascertain we've heard the message, I'm already shoving myself out the door to get to my next class and hopefully not have to run into him again at all today.

My wish is pretty much granted until the end of the day it decides to kick me in the ass and betray me when the blonde's voice chimes at an alarmingly close distance. _Crap!_ I peer out of the corner of my eye to see that stupid slap-on smile bouncing closer to me with his hand waving high above his head.

"Kuro-tan!~" I growl, nearly forgetting to grab my pre-stats book then slam my locker closed to turn and mke my hasty getaway. My eys scan for the fastest path to weave between all the students and leave the school grounds where I don't have to see the sparkle in his eyes keep breaking and attempting to reshine. My shoulder's raise when hearing him yell from behind again, sounding even a little broken this time.

"Kuro! Please, wait...!" Clenching my fists to the point I feel them biting into my palms. I grimace at the baffled pain dripping from his usually chipper and perky sound I've grown so accostomed to. _Ugh! I can't take this!_ Shoving past everyone as swiftly as my feet will allow me to travel though this maze, he calls one more time from behind while I finally get to the corner I've been waiting all day to round.

After a minute or two of cursing the sluggish crowd mixed with conversion, laughing, and those who are just as lost in their minds as I am, the exit thankfully shines with the sunny day that irritated me this morning for getting in my eyes. It's almost ironic to me that now it signifies my savior from this hell. The cluster begins to difuse to their modes of transportation to wherever they need to go after the grueling seven hours everyday and I'm already across the parking lot on the sidewalk to lead me back home. _I'm finally out of there! Damn...that day was just stressful. I wonder if he'll catch up with me and try to follow me back home...? Why didn't I drive my truck to school today?_ Face hardening, my lips purse knowing the exact reason why._ I did plan on getting some extra help with homework from one of the "academically top of the class" guys who happens to be blonde..._

_Ugh! Why am I even doing this to myself?! There's no reason to beat myself up like this... All I'm doing is giving myself more problems by _trying_ to stay away from him... Not only has it been a stressful day, it's been a mentally exhausting day. Why does he always make sit so much harder on himself?_

**T**

My avatar collapses helplessly to the ground again when being gunned down by another player in plain sight. Unlike how I usually curse the guy who hit me and swear vengence after my short tantrum, I just stare at the TV screen blankly, watching my character resurrect himself in a new location before I absently move out again to find someone before they catch me and take them out. When playing Call of Duty, I'm generally extremely alert and almost always kill my opponents before they even have a chance to see me coming (not to mention I'm always at the top of the statistics list), but today I just can't get myself into it. Concentration is obviously not happening for me now and probably won't ever right now so there hasn't been much of a muse for me to play this in the first place. I couldn't get my mind to focus enough to solve anything for my homework and it was really frustrating me. I thought playing this would help get my mind off of things which has become a failed hope. My thoughts keep being drawn back to the same person and problems circling him.

The screen freezes our actions and the results of who won fade onto the screen that I skim over, not even absorbing anything my eyes read. _Why did Fai decide to come out?_ The TV screen slides up and disappears from my vision, floor replacing what it once did. _Did he even think about how people would treat him afterward? Or did he just feel that with all the bullying he was already taking that giving them another reason to pick on him wouldn't make much of a difference? The difference in how much bullying comes from looking girly and coming out as gay in this town is so vast that it's almost worrisome. No...it is worrisome..._ My scowl deepens and a heaviness settles over my chest. _The amount of people picking on him and treating him as some mutation is only gonna increase._ Thinking that over again, my chest tightens. _Anybody else treating him like that doesn't bother the idiot, but if it were to be me, one of the only people that really treats him as a human being that were to treat him that way...is that what's gonna push him to his breaking point?_

The sound of the phone ringing twice, a few muffled sentences, then the sound of footsteps padding against the stairs nearing my room informs me of my mother's presence approaching before she pokes her head around the corner of my doorway. She smiles at me tenderly and holds the phone out to meet my sight.

"It's Fai. He says he'd like to talk to you," she notifies me kindly. My heart speeds up at the mention of his name and the mere knowing it's him on the other end of the other end of the line. "He also says you haven't been answering your phone," she adds with some suspicion in her voice. Oh yeah, I forgot to take that out of my backpack when I got home since I was so out of it.

"Oh well, that's just too bad. Tell him that I'm naked and that I'm- NO WAIT! DON'T TELL HIM THAT! Just say that I'm getting in the shower...!" She cocks an eyebrow at me in concern then sighs, turning away and telling Fai why I was currently unavailable. I have to say, out of everyone, my mom's probably the only one that senses when I'm having a problem _and_ understands when I actually want to discuss it or be left alone.

Suddenly losing the urge to play my game that I honestly had no desire to play in the first place, I push myself off of my low-lying game seat and push downt the TV's off button to allow it to sleep the rest of the night. I peer over at my desk where my textbook lies open with a halfway finished assignment laying over the designated page covered in boring, black characters that look like another foreign language even upon coming closer to it. _Is it wrong of me to do this to him? All he did was make a fact I already knew about him public. Is it just because now that the whole school knows I don't want them getting the same impressions about me by hanging around him?_ I scoff at myself, shaking my head in disgust. _Since when have I ever been one to care about my public image?_ Skimming over the page one for time and deeming it impossible to figure out anymore of the questions, I sigh in defeat then close the book up so I don't have to cast another glace over it.

There's a reticent pat on the doorframe behind me that I almost don't catch and I turn to note my mother resting against the wall outside my room with half of her body showing around the corner. Her smile softens more when noticing I've discovered her arrival.

"You were able to notice me before I even said anything. Such a perceptive young man you are," she tells me sweetly. I pivot my body to face her more on.

"What is it, Mom?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious. It's just that, well, you haven't said much since you've gotten home. Then you went upstairs and haven't been down to eat or anything. Then you completely blew off Fai when you hardly ever do purposely. I'm just concerned is all. Is everything alright? Is there something you'd like to get off your chest?" she asks sincerely.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, though."

"Are you sure, Hun?" I nod and the tension in her sholder releases to allow her arm to slide down the door frame and she pulls back to allow herself to turn and head back downstairs. "Alright, but if you do, just remember you can always come to me. There's still some dinner downstairs if you feel you want some, so get it whenever you do." I watch her leave and listen to her footsteps become weaker the further she goes down the steps.

The fact that she mentioned Fai proves right there that she probably expects part of my uncommon behavior is because of some complication with Fai. She's right though, I don't usually immediately lock myself up in my room and skip over dinner. The only times I really do this is almost always connected to the blonde in some way. Most of the time it's what goes on in my head that silences me for a full day instead of actual events like today, and she knows that.

My eyes drift over to the black journal buried under a few magazines and previously read books over time on the corner of my desk. When Fai first came out to me as gay, I sealed myself up in my mind for days and acted similarly to how I am now, which didn't fail to go unpassed by my mother even then. I remember reading somewhere that sometimes writing your feelings down in a personal journal can help you cope with them and make you feel better. It helped a little, but I left it open one day when my mom came up to clean a bit and accidentily read over the matter I wrote that Fai was gay. She apologized to me later that day for invading my personal space; thus I never wrote in it again, but I couldn't get myself to throw it out, so it's remained on my desk to be piled on over time.

Glancing over at my alarm clock and being mildly surprised it's only seven forty, I decide to just take a shower and go to bed early tonight. I grab a towel along the way to the bathroom down to the hallway and shut the door behind me. Dropping the towel to the floor without much care, I trail over to the tub and begin twisting the knobs to get a desirable temperature before switching the water flow from the bath nozzle to the shower head -whole time not really conscience of what I am doing. The water sprays from above, crashing onto the bottom of the tub in random spots but still creating a continuous pattering in my ear while I step away to slide my pants off and tug my shirt up over my head. _I know damn well that it's not my public image that I'm worried about. So what am I so bothered over?_ I stand there unmoving, then turn my head so I can observe my expression in the already misting mirror. _Damn...I really do look lost... Either that or I look like I've just been hit by a train..._

Eventually stepping over the ledge into the shower, the heated droplets spot all over my arms, sliding over the tan ligaments and dripping back into the puddle below my feet to reunite with all the droplets that missed my frame. I let the water abandon the shower head and drench my body in every place it can reach, some individual streams breaking from the main trails and curving around the bends and dips of my body. I watch a few drops that drip from my hair and pass through my stare at nothing in particular that slowly begins to drip out of my concious sight. _Is it the idea of being gay?_

My chest clenches again and I grimace abstractively, rolling my head up to allow the water to pound against my face. _But I'm not gay, so why would it bother me so much if a couple of people decided to title me as that? Besides, all I'd have to do is beat their faces in if it got too annoying._ I open my eyes enough to see through them but to where they're not drowned out with the falling water. The steam rises around me and fogs up everything to where it's almost challenging to see beyond what's right in front of me. _I know I'm not gay, and being around gay people don't bother me or else I wouldn't be able to handle being in the presence of Fuuma, Kamui, and Subaru. So, why does that change when it comes to Fai?_ I literally feel my heart begin racing when thinking of him. The steam suddenly begins to make it more laborious for me to breathe, signaling it's probably time to get out and breathe in some more fresher air than the suffocating air in here.

Feeling the water die down to an end, a few remaining drops that get heavier from excess water trailing down and fusing into each other fall to the ground after turning the water off, I reach for the towel I carelessly dropped and wrap it around my waist before ruffling my short, ebony hair to rid it of the surplus water then walk out.

The crisp, cooler air outside the muggy bathroom fills my lungs, instantly feeling more welcome than the heat. I drag toward my room, slowing when two different voices travel from the living room up the stairs.

"So he's acting weird again, hm?" my dad's voice questions.

"He just seems to be preoccupied with matters of his own right now, Dear. I imagine every teenager does so from time to time, so it's really nothing to worry about" she answers back in a much more soothing voice.

"I'm always gonna be concerned when he gets like this. He just draws himself back from everything and doesn't talk much at all. He retreats back into his own world and doesn't let anyone enter. Even if it happens to every teenager, it still bothers me that something worries him so much that he'd act with this weird attitude. It's gotta be something big if it makes that kid act like that," he tells her. She sighs and I hear her move away from whatever she's doing and get closer to him.

"Even so, even he deserves a break to escape from reality for a while," she says, a short kiss sounding from them. I purse my lips, continuing to my bedroom, closing the door behind me with my foot. _So it's a pretty big thing to make me act like this?_ I pace over to my dresser, pulling out some boxers and sweatpants to throw on after allowing the towel to slide from it's hold. _Why would Fai be that big of a deal to me then?_

I plop my back down onto the corner of my bed with my legs hanging over, bouncing a few times then close my eyes to shield out the light. _Fai is my best friend, so it'd only naturally make sense that his actions would have greater effect on me than other people, right? And since he's my best friend, it'd also be expected that I care for him more than others... Besides, even if I wanted to just end our friendship, it wouldn't be possible since the idiot is so damn likeable. I mean, what's there not to like? Not only is he actually really nice, but he genuinely cares for others. He may lie a lot, but he only does so not to trouble others with his problems. Although, that pisses me when he lies to me so I'd much rather he not. Then on top of that, the guy's freaking beautiful. His hair is so vibrant and soft that it really matches him. Then there's his deep, sapphire eyes. Even in the dark they manage to sparkle and glow such an angelic blue. His pale skin just really adds to that element...in fact, when you look at him, the best thing to compare him to is an angel..._

My eyes open to be met with the blatant light of my room and I feel some heat welling up in my cheeks. _What the hell were all those thoughts for? The guy's admirable, but that was just way too over the top!_ I move my head up against the black bed spread to get a glance at the red digital block numbers lined up dully on the black screen of my alarm clock. _Only about twenty minutes have passed...so it's still pretty early..._

I push myself up into a sitting position then onto my feet to walk over and turn off my light, a black blanket settling over my room. Blinking a few times to get my eyes adjusted to the sudden light change, I eventually make my way over to the bed and slide under the covers. I peer at the wall beside me. _I don't like Fai like that! I can never like Fai like that...it's just...not possible. But he on the other hand, he could like any guy. He could even like me! Am I afraid of being called gay because I somehow know that he can actually change me?_ I shake my head to rid those thoughts away then turn on my side and force my eyes closed. _Why would I even thing something like that!? I'm _not_ nor will I _ever_ be gay!_ My sigh fills the still room around me. _This is going to be a long night..._

* * *

Hyuu~ Another chapter down! Let's just hope that the next chapter actually comes out sooner than this one x.x I can't wait for this story to get moving forward again.

R&R, guys? You know you wanna! -3- It makes me wanna actually get stuff out faster. However, though, quick little notice! Look forward to a new story coming out from me~ Hope you enjoy it when it finally comes out! Anyway, hope to talk to you all again VERY soon~ TAKE CARE~


	3. Chapter 3

Hey readers! Been a while hasn't it? Sorry for the long wait... School was terrible in stealing my time...then it took me forever to find time to be alone and actually concentrate on writing. Hahaha xD but enough excuses from me! Hopefully I can get more chapters out during this summer to make up for all my absences and lost time throughout the months. Anyway, here's the next long-awaited chappie!

Reviews! Yay!

**NathaliaAlexandria-** ¡Muchas gracias! Haha, gracias. Realmente aprecio su opinión! Significa mucho para mí que usted piensa que es tan único! Eso es un gran cumplido, no tienes ni idea. Me gustaría poder haber conseguido esta actualización más rápido para usted y para eso me disculpo. HI! Saludos desde los Estados Unidos! Lo siento por esta mala traducción. Tengo que usar el traductor de google desde que estoy tomando francés y mi amigo de habla española no está en casa ahora. No estaba seguro de si debía dejarla en Inglés o no.

En busca de inspiración, que comenzó a partir de dicho amigo de habla española. Se había pedido a sus lectores en una de las notas de su autor lo que pensaron que el final de su historia iba a terminar y que tenía una conjetura para el final. Bueno, no tenía razón, pero una gran idea dio lugar a ella. Creo que quería hacer una declaración en un momento de la sexualidad intimidación, pero no me acuerdo del todo cómo llegó a ser exactamente esta idea. Creo que tuve una idea girando en mi cabeza sobre Kurogane maldito sobre su orientación sexual, pero nunca suficientes ideas para realmente hacer una historia fuera de ella. Una vez que me puse esa idea con la idea que tenía para el final de mi amigo, me puse a la carne hacia fuera y así es como la historia llegó a ser. ^ _ ^ Lo siento por la respuesta tan larga pero me gustó mucho hablar con usted! Espero que usted todavía está siguiendo a lo largo de un hahaha espera. Aquí está su actualización!

**TheGoth24-** Lol! Well, warning now: you're not going to like him in chapter 4...but he should be getting better from that point. I know...v.v He doesn't perfectly follow the Kurogane from the travels that we all know and love, but I'm just look at it as an immature teen from a homophobic society where that's all he's been taught how to act. He won't be too much in full character until later on the story when he begins to mature in his thoughts, reasons, and actions. Sorry for displeasing you in that way so far ^_^;; Thank you for the critique, though! Hope you can get through two more chapters of Kuro acting douchey! Here's your update and thanks for your review!

**Lonely white cloud-** ew? xD Thanks for the review! Here's your update!

**MangaSockAttack-** THANK YOU! Just going at the pace I think he should when understanding his own feelings and thoughts x.x;; I'm glad you think so, though! He's still got a loooooong way to go though xD Sorry the update isn't sooner, but here it is! Hope you enjoy it! XOXO

Thank you all soooo very much for reviewing!

Let's begin this tale!

_Italics means thoughts_ ;** T means scene change or time passing**

**KUROGANE POV**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, the characters, or the story...this is just my own creative plot twist~

* * *

"Kuro-tan, can we please talk?" a musical voice sounds from behind my locker door._ How did I not sense him coming? Well...here we go..._

"About what?" I ask from behind my locker half-mindedly.

"About yesterday... Why are you not talking to me? You didn't even call me back last night. Did I do something wrong?" he asks with guilt in his words. I grit my teeth.

"I went to bed early last night so that's why I didn't call back..." I tell him, finally closing the barrier between our two faces. Risking a glance over at him, my heart skips a beat. His hair is even messier than usual and he's got noticeable bags under his eyes. His eyes appear a little puffy as well, as though he had been crying earlier or rubbing them a lot. However, even though he may look like this, he still outdoes every girl in this whole school on their best days. He always has. A small bit of worry seems to enter his eyes upon taking me in.

"You don't appear as though you got a lot of sleep last night..." Do I really look that bad?

"Yeah, well neither do you, Blonde." I turn quickly, speedily trying to get some distance between us. He follows after me, attempting to get a bit closer.

"...Did my coming out yesterday make you not want to talk to me?" he questions quietly. I grit my teeth harder. _Dammit! Why did he have to bring that up!? And why did he have to be freaking right!?_

"W-what are you talking about, Idiot? Why would you think that?"

"Because of the way you reacted when it was just you that I told," there seems to be a certain rigidness in his voice, the cold reminder chilling both of us to the bone.

"Listen, stop worrying. There's nothing you need to freak about. I'm talking to you now, aren't I?"

"Fine. Then, Kuro-sama, can you please-" he's interrupted by a grunt and a slam against the lockers. Slowing to a stop, I look over my shoulder to see that bastard, Kyle, smirking down at Fai's cowering form. Fai's startled eyes make their way from Kyle's ugly face to my eyes, silently begging for me to help him. _He'll leave me alone if I just keep walking. I don't feel like putting up with any of Kyle's shit. Besides, if Fai really needs my help, he'll tell me that in the classroom..._ Sluggishly starting up my momentum and directing my attention forward again, I begin making my way to the classroom, pretending not to have any knowledge of Fai being the one that's about to be picked on underneath the ponytail jerk.

My chest aches the farther I leave them behind, but finally I find my way to Ashura's classroom and push it to the back of my mind. It's not until the blonde makes his heavy and almost distressing entrance about five minutes later that I'm reminded of the bullshit I just put him through. He doesn't go through the effort to put up some slap-on smile, but I can tell that he's at least keeping something hidden.

Ashura peers over at him and keeps his eyes there for a few seconds too long for my taste before he decides to turn his head the other way and pretend he didn't see him walk in at all. He drags to his seat and eventually disappears from my peripheral vision, the screech of a chair being slid back filling the room around us. I don't make any attempts to glance back at him or even think about him throughout the period. Even though I haven't exactly gotten over the shock of yesterday, all the guilt from avoiding him and probably making him cry hits me hard within no time. _I have to make it up to him somehow..._

The bell chimes and mixes with the hasty stampede to get out of the classroom. Usually I'd be right behind them, but it seems my own thoughts have worked against me to weaken my awareness. Sighing in irritation, I begin closing up everything and shoving it into my bag. The soft padding of footsteps behind me stop gently and my heart nearly pounds out of my chest.

"...Kuro-pon, can you please sit with me at lunch today?" My chest warms up and I almost want to leap up and embrace him from the innocent sweetness in his voice. _I don't see how it'd kill me to sit with him again... Besides, gotta make it up to him somehow and all I'm doing is returning back to my original seat._ The noise of a zipper sealing my bag back together fills my ears before the sound of my own chair sliding across the floor.

"Sure, sounds fine to me." His whole face lights up and there appears to be a small sparkle return back to his sapphire irises. I feel a slight rush of blood in my cheeks before watching him scamper off toward the door, bringing an unexpected grin to my lips. _Idiot..._

Following after him to the cafeteria that's already packed, I watch him cavort to our table, then turn to smile at me after dropping his stuff into the chair. I roll my eyes playfully then drop off my own crap to trail after his already retreating form toward the line.

"Well, wait up for me, Idiot," I call after him, eventually catching up when he stops to turn back and face me.

"Sorry, Kuro-pin~ You usually catch up anyway." He smiles at me innocently. I feel my lips twitch a bit when my feet stop right in their track. A small heat rushes over my chest and have to quickly push past him before he sees anything.

"Come on, Blondie," I mumble to him and hear an instant comply. After merging into the line, Fai kept poking me and saying the most stupid things just to annoy me. Even though I wanted to attack him right there to put an end to his childish taunts, I just couldn't seeing that it was keeping his mind off from all the people around us. Everyone still keeps their distance from him as though he were Death himself and stares him down like he has three heads. I'd like to punch all their faces in, but I don't really want to wast my time with all this anyway.

We finally escape from that damn line and Fai's taunts immediately drop when we head toward the table. Adjusting into our seats, he beams up at me suddenly.

"What?" I ask, eyebrow cocked with confusion.

"Oh, nothing, Kuro-chan~"

"I wish you'd stop calling me those damn nicknames..." I say, finally glancing down at another pathetic lunch. _Seems as though I'm still not completely recovered from that "state of mind" my parents were talking about..._

"Aw, do you really hate them that much, Kuro-tan?" he questions with a playful frown. Growling, I lean in toward him with teeth bared.

"I hate them so much-"

"Hey, Fai~" a cheerful female voice sounds from across the table. Both our eyes turn to meet with Sakura's bright, shining green ones. She giggles with a tilt of her head and Syaoran smiles behind her. Them again?

"Oh, hey Sakura~ Hey Syaoran~ How are you two?" Fai chimes, almost annoying me a bit.

"We're both doing fine~" Sakura tells him gleefully again, eyes casting over to me and emotions changing a bit.

"Are you guys gonna be sitting here again today?" He asks them gently.

"If you want us to and if it it's alright with Kurogane-san," Syaoran finally speaks. Fai shifts his gaze up to me, anticipation glowing in his irises. Even if I really don't want anything to do with those kids, it's kinda hard to say no to that face Fai has.

"Fine, I don't care," I say nonchalantly while crossing my arms over my chest. Fai smiles up at me happily then nods to the two who are already placing their trays down and shifting into their seats. A sigh erupts past my lips before I eventually take my own spot next to Fai. I'm still not very hungry, so I just awkwardly mess around with my food and halfway listen to the conversation they have. That is until a certain voice musically sounds in my ear.

"Um, Kuro-sama?" I turn my dazed attention over to him.

"Hm?"get

"Thank you...for sitting with me today..." I feel my scowl deepen and I tense up slightly.

"Well, of course...but I sit here all the time so I don't get why you're thankful for that." Now it's his turn to tense up, nearly losing hold on the grin he always so carefully crafts.

"Oh, well, you see...you.." he purses his lips and stands up quickly, "I gotta go and throw my stuff away~ I'll be back soon~"

"I'll go with you, Fai~" Sakura chimes, quickly snatching up her tray to follow after him. I stare down at the table for a few seconds before the two eyes obviously boring into me become too annoying to push off. I lift my vision back up to see Syaoran's brown eyes not budging from him.

"What, Kid?"

"You do realize why he's so grateful you're sitting with him today, don't you?"

"Not exactly. All I did was sit where I usually sit."

"Then you don't really know what all happened yesterday..." he sighs a bit in sadness, gaze finally shifting off of me and to the ground. "Sakura and I could tell that he was lonely and asked to sit with him yesterday. That much is obvious. However, even when we sat with him, people still taunted him directly and indirectly. We did everything we could to cheer him up and stand up for him, but no matter how many times he smiled and laughed, you could still tell that he wished you were there also. He let it slip a bit that you were avoiding him and not talking to him a few times. So the fact that you actually agreed to be around him today...that's more than a good reason for him to be grateful," he finishes, a soft grin lining his lips. Pursing my lips, I turn my head away from him.

"..."

"May I ask why you avoided him all day yesterday?" Syaoran questions politely.

"I just need a break from the blonde every once in a while. He can be pretty overwhelming at times."

"Is it because he came out yesterday?" he asks bluntly. My eyes widen, a snarl instantly appearing on my face.

"What would make you think that!?"

"Because everyone else has been reacting that way. It must be harder for you since he's your best friend after all."

"...It's not exactly the thing I wanna hear spilling from everybody's mouths," I tell him. It was already a big thing when he told me himself. I don't want to hear about Fai's personal stuff coming from anybody else but him or even me. It just seems they're invading on things they should have no business in and that pisses me off.

"Same here. I may not know Fai as well as you Kurogane-san, but I don't enjoy all the tension over it," he says, smiling at me but keeping the seriousness in his eyes. "Besides, I don't see why everyone gets so ruffled over who someone wants to love and be with. I personally don't see what the problem is if you're just loving someone for who they are," he says silently, making my eyes widen a bit. _He doesn't care that Fai's gay?_

"Damn, how long does it take to fricking bring up your tray?" I growl, trying to get my mind off the subject of Fai's coming out. Syaoran turns in the direction they went off in, only to smile.

"There they are." I glance over to see both of the feminine faces return.

"Sorry for taking so long. We were talking to someone," Fai tells us sheepishly. _Someone talked to him?_ Then again, I'm sure that Fuuma or Subaru would be more than happy to talk to him instead of shunning him.

"It's fine. We were just talking is all," Syaoran assures them then turns back toward the table. Fai and Sakura eventually return back to their seats. When Fai sits back down, it's as though the whole atmosphere around him has softened and there's an obvious happiness emanating from him. I have no idea what's brought this about in him, but I easily accept it and even begin to enjoy it. I can tell that he still hasn't completely recovered from yesterday but you'd never guess that at first glance. Just watching him is almost extraterrestrial. There's no way someone as gorgeous as him could possibly be human._ Wait... I never thought that. Fai's a guy, he can't be beautiful..._ My eyes scan over his perfectly shaped face with sparkling sapphire eyes that would only be brighter had he not have so much to hide. It's even almost as though this blonde has captivated me without knowing it. It must be because I just can't draw my attention away from him. It's not until his light laughter fills my ears that warmth rushes over my chest and creeps into my cheeks, making me draw my attention away from him so nobody can get a good look at my face.

_Dammit, what the hell was that all about? Why did I feel that way...?_ The tension leaves the muscles in my face._ Because Fai always makes me feel that way..._ Sighing, I glance over at him again, then to Syaoran. Syaoran and Sakura don't care, and neither does Fuuma, Subaru, and even that damn Kamui. Even if the brat, Kamui, is at the bottom of my list of people to worry about, even he is someone who's more worth my time than all the other jackasses here. If anyone really matters, it's that group of people, especially Fai. They don't care that Fai's gay, and they wouldn't care if I was either, right?

The bell pierces through the thickness of many voices blending together to alert our dismissal and I notice I have yet to bring up my own tray.

"Great," I mumble and snatch up my tray to dispose of all the uneaten food.

"Kuro-min?" Fai's voice questions. I peer over my shoulder to get a better look at his gentle face.

"I'll catch up with you in a few. Just gotta throw my stuff out," I say, turning back toward the overflowing cans when I get closer to.

"Hey," some random guy's voice sounds in my ear. I turn my attention to him in question.

"What?"

"Why did you sit with that gay kid? Are you-"

"-NO!" I cut him off. "I'm not gay, dammit! I just sat with him out of sympathy so fuck off!"

"Jeez, man, you don't have to bite my head off. I was just asking..." he says, walking off immediately. I glare at his retreating form then just throw the whole tray away. Storming over to where Fai's waiting.

"C'mon we're leaving...!" I half-yell, flying right past him. Footsteps follow closely behind me hastily, announcing he's following behind._ Damn kid...asking me something like that. Who does he think he is?_

We eventually arrive to our next class together, situation in our seats before the bell rings. A hand slams down on my desk. I stare forward irritably, then slowly shift my gaze up to see one of the more well-known guys of the school towering over me.

"Having a party tomorrow night, Suwa. You should stop by and hang for a little bit." He smirks down at me, then glances over at Fai beside me, smirk dropping. "He can come too, if he wants." The guy strides off to his seat after drawing a near silent gasp a near silent gasp from the blonde at his invitation. I peer over at him with interest of a reply to the guy's invite. He eyes me, worry lining the features of his face. Just before I can ask for his answer to going, the bell sounds calling for teachers to come back in and dictate their next class. I groan in vexation and reach for a notebook and pencil.

"Alright, class. Let's begin. Write down these notes and we'll start in about ten," he commands lazily, working his way over to his desk to throw himself back in. I record the first few words I see before my mind wanders to the party. It's not like going to a party is my first choice to spend a Saturday night, but I don't really have any plans and I know the idiot doesn't. It'd be a good way to pass some time and maybe (if at all possible) get Fai around some people and get him into more of the crowd. Maybe. I'm not counting too heavily on it. However, I still don't exactly want to go by myself either. I don't care, but it's always easier to survive if you bring someone you know to events like that.

**T**

"I told you already, Kuro-puu. I don't want to go to a party and especially not a party that's gonna have all the more, quoted, popular people," Fai expresses over the phone, sounding skeptical. I chuckle, ruffling the water out of my hair.

"Oh, c'mon, Fai. You really think they're gonna bother you? They'll be too busy with their own shit or too drunk of their asses to care about you enough," I state, throwing my towel on my bed.

"That's where you're wrong," he starts, drawing a playful roll of the eyes from me, "When people get drunk, they like to spend extra time paying attention to me. I just don't feel safe at parties like that," he explains, voice going a bit more quiet toward the end of his words. I find some comfortable clothes then slide them on with difficulty as I try to keep my cell as close to my ear as possible the whole time. I throw on a shirt then finally hold the phone back up to my ear in place.

"But I'll be by your side the whole time. They won't pick on you then. Besides, you don't have anything better to do, right?" I ask, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I'd much rather stay at my safe and cozy home and watch a movie. You should come over and watch one with me rather than going," Fai offers hopefully, enthusiasm seeming to return a bit to his musical voice.

"Fai. Really? And cozy? I don't think so. C'mon, Fai. I don't wanna go alone." There's a sigh that comes from his end muffled by the speaker then a few seconds of silence.

"Fine, I guess I'll go with you. But, I don't wanna stay there the whole night, nor do I wanna drink and get involved in any of those games," he eventually says, defeat ringing clearly.

I chuckle again, "That sounds like no fun at all." I push myself up off the bed.

"I'll have all the fun I need just by being with you. When do I need to be at your house?"

"I'll swing by and pick you up in my truck. Oh, and no nicknames while we're there." I hear a protest about to build up then hang up before he's able to start. I snatch up my keys then head for the front door down the stairs. _I know Mom isn't too happy with me going, but at least Dad jumped in and gave me permission._ "I'll be back later!" I yell into the house, then shut the door firmly behind me.

**T**

We hear the music thumping a mile before we even pull into the wild house. Pulling into the long driveway, I already see a ton of people dancing and heavily drunk out in the front yard. I shut off the ignition then look over to see Fai's worried face.

"Ooi." He jumps slightly, snapping his head over to me. "You're gonna be alright. I'm here for you," I reassure him, offering up a small smile. He nods shakily and follows my example by getting out of the truck.

Within seconds he's glued to my side, eyes seeming to dart around frantically- or at least from what I can tell in the dark. The closer we get to the house, the more of the glow from the lights highlight his face and compliments his features. I actually allow myself to feel the mild heat in my cheeks since I have confidence that the darkness will hide the light coloration.

Fai grunts and stumbles a bit out of the corner of my eye and I jerk my head around to see that some brat ran into him.

"Hey, watch where you're going, fag," he says holding his arms out as a threat I'm assuming before pivoting around and letting out a snicker.

"Bastard..." I mumble to myself, interrupted when hearing quick, short breathes beside me.

"It's gonna be like that all night," he whimpers, straightening himself back up.

"The guy had a drink in his hand. He was probably just drunk, Fai." He stares into nothing, the frown never departing from his lips.

"Usually, when people get intoxicated, they treat me even worse since the consequences of hurting someone isn't crossing their minds. I probably shouldn't be here..."

"You're fine. Besides, I'm here and nobody will wanna mess with you when I'm around you," I assure. He peers up at me with no certainty, then saunters sluggishly ahead of me, taking care to not go too far ahead. I follow after, a heavy pressure suddenly settling over my chest and a strange unnamed feeling pangs in my belly. I halt momentarily then keep moving toward the front door. _Should we be here?_

* * *

Hyuu~ Another chapter out! I really wanna write the next one...but I got other stories to take care of first x.x The next chapter's gonna be a...uh...piece of work I suppose I can say... Anyway! Hope this was another good one ^_^;; Thanks for reading! R&R? I shall reply! Any questions or anything you want me to say, whether it be completely relevant or irrelevant like COOKIES! I shall respond! xD Anyway, TAKE CARE~


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